


Come Home

by blueeyedcherry



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-26
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-27 01:53:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2674487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueeyedcherry/pseuds/blueeyedcherry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Everything I can't be, is everything you should be, and that's why I need you here..." Bella fights for her own life while Edward relives the one they spent together. Written for WitchyVampireGirl in FAGE007.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *sings* It's the most wonderful time of the year...
> 
> FAGE is back! Hooray!
> 
> As with last year, this is a multi-chapter mini-fic. There's a total of 9 chapters, plus a small epilogue, and the goal is to post one each hour until it's complete.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> \- N.
> 
> Characters belong to SM and the beautiful music that inspired this piece belongs to Ryan Tedder and his band of musical geniuses. The rest is all from me.

_** ** _

 

**Banner by[beegurl13](http://www.fanfiction.net/~beegurl13)**

 

 

_**-2013-** _

"Brrr." I rubbed my hands together in an attempt to warm up my frozen fingers. Stepping outside to take the phone call had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that I'd done it, I began to wonder why. It was a mere seven degrees above zero in Duluth, but the wind coming off of Lake Superior made it feel like it was ten below. By the time I kicked off my boots and slumped down in a nearby armchair, I'd regained most of the feeling in my hands.

Fat, fluffy flakes of snow fell outside the window, accumulating quickly on the ground. The forecast called for over a foot of the powdery white stuff, but I'd learned long ago not to trust Minnesota meteorologists. I always approached the weather with the same attitude, regardless of their predictions; hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

"Mr. Cullen?" I looked up and smiled when I saw Bree standing in the door. Of all the nurses at St. Mary's Hospital, Bree Tanner was my favorite. She was friendly and attentive, and took the time to get to know her patients. Her bedside manner was impeccable, and a person could always trust they'd feel like a human when under her care, as opposed to feeling like a number or a dollar sign.

"Yes?"

"Dr. Weber would like to speak with you." I nodded and stood, slipping my feet into the pair of house shoes that Tanya had brought to the hospital for me. Bree could have led me to Dr. Weber's office, but she didn't need to. I knew the facility like the back of my hand, and it only took me a minute to navigate to the doctor's hiding space on the sixth floor.

"Edward." Angela Weber waved me inside, motioning to the empty chair across from her. I took a seat and leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. The doctor clicked opened a new window on her computer and turned the monitor so it faced me.

"Another CT scan?" I asked. Angela nodded.

"We did this one last night shortly after you left. As you can see, the subdural hematoma is completely gone," Angela explained, pointing to the right side of the image. "The swelling in Bella's brain has subsided, which means that the craniectomy was successful. All in all, these are very good developments."

I sat back in the chair and rubbed my hands over my face. In the six weeks I'd been meeting with Dr. Weber, this was by far the best news I'd received yet.

"So what does this mean?" I asked. "What's next?"

Angela took her glasses off and set them down on her desk. "We can start weaning her off of the barbiturates. As you know from our previous discussions, this can be quite the process, especially for someone who has been induced and ventilated for as long as Bella has."

"How long of a process are we talking about?"

"I can't give you a specific answer. Recovery from an injury of this nature is a gradual process. She could be alert within a few days, or it could take a week or longer. And there's always the possibility…." Angela's words trailed off as she looked out her office window. She didn't have to finish her sentence for me to know where it was headed.

I refused to acknowledge these other possibilities, however. "When will you start weaning her off?"

"I need to meet with the rest of her neurological team, but I don't see any reason why we couldn't start today. She'll need to be closely monitored, as the brain will sometimes start to swell again in the absence of the medication. I should have more answers for you when you come back tomorrow morning." Angela stood and rounded her desk, leaning on the front and crossing her ankles. "You should go home and get some rest tonight. Bella's going to need you more than ever on this next leg of her journey."

I stood and shoved my hands in my pockets. "Thank you, Angela. I don't even know what to say."

"Don't thank me." Angela gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. "It's all Bella. She wants to come home to you as much as you want her here."

I swallowed the tears that were trying to bubble to the surface. I didn't want Bella home—I _needed_ her there. And now, for the first time in over a month, it seemed like she would be soon.

I talked to the doctor for a few more minutes, then made my way back down to my wife's care suite. Outside, the sun was starting to set, and I felt a pang of guilt at the thought of missing another dinner with our kids. The snow was coming down harder though, and I didn't want to chance anything by trying to make the 45-minute commute south to Bruno. I sent a quick text to Tanya, letting her know I was going to stay at the Radisson and that I'd call when I got there, then took a seat on the edge of Bella's bed.

"This is it, baby," I whispered, taking her hand in mine. Her skin felt dry, and I made a mental note to let Bree know she could use some lotion. "You've been gone for a few weeks, Bells, but now you'll have a light to lead you back. To me, to the kids, to Charlie … we're all waiting here, Bella, cheering you on and loving you." I set her hand back down and stood up, brushing her hair off of her forehead so I could kiss her there. "I know you'll find us, sweetheart. I know you'll come home when you're good and ready. In the meantime, I love you. Don't ever forget that."

I gathered my things and bundled myself up, then made the one mile trip over to the Radisson. Once I was situated in my room, I pulled out my phone and dialed my oldest daughter's number.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hi, Tan. How is everything going?"

"Good." I could hear Riley and Kate laughing in the background, and the sound made me smile.

"I got a room at the Radisson for the night. I 'm sorry to leave you high and dry again, but with the snow moving in I don't want to take any chances."

"It's fine," she reassured me. "You have enough on your plate as it is. Don't worry about us. If anything comes up, Emmett and Rose are just a phone call away."

"How are your brother and sister? They're not giving you a hard time, are they?"

Tanya laughed. "No more than they usually do. Riley wanted me to tell you that Coach Nelson said he'd be the starting quarterback next year. I guess that's a big deal or something?"

"That's great!" I beamed, wishing I were there to give my son a hug.

"Kate! Stop! You can't put water in a pan with hot oil!" Tanya sighed. "I gotta go, Dad. She's trying to cook dinner for us and I don't want her to burn your house down."

"Thanks again for keeping track of them. I should be back tomorrow night."

"No problem." She was quiet for a minute. "Give Mom a kiss for me?"

"Of course. I love you, sweetie."

"Love you too."

As soon as I was off the phone I changed into my pajamas, pulled the leather journal out of my bag and climbed into bed. I had access to a wide array of cable TV channels, but none of that interested me. It was the contents of the journal that had my attention.

I'd started writing in it the day after Bella's accident. I had no idea what was going to happen to my wife, or if she'd ever bounce back from the brain injuries she was left with. I was sitting in the hospital cafeteria with the kids when Kate had asked how Bella and I met. It dawned on me that we'd never really told them the story, so I went straight to the gift shop, purchased the journal, and started chronicling our early years together.

My intent was to have it finished by the time Bella woke up. Then, after she recovered and was feeling like herself again, we could sit down as a family and share the story with them. In the event that she didn't wake up, I planned on giving the journal to Kate and Riley and letting them experience it at their own pace.

As it turned out, I finished writing in it several nights before, and as I ran my fingers over the smooth cover I started to feel nostalgic. Our life together was anything but easy, and I recalled fighting for our love on more than one occasion. It was a story I enjoyed looking back on, however, and so I opened the journal to the first page and started reading, transporting myself to the late 1980s, when our relationship first began…

* * *

_**-1987-** _

I met Bella Swan the summer before my senior year of high school. For weeks everyone in town had been talking about the new family that had just arrived in Bruno. They were from the Twin Cities and the dad, Charlie, had taken over ownership of The Bear's Den, our lone bar that kept the town alcoholics comfortably numb and acted as an off-sale location too. Rumor had it his wife had up and gone to Los Angeles that winter, leaving him to care for his renegade teenage daughter. What drove them to Bruno no one knew, but everyone and their mother had an opinion of them, even if they hadn't met them. People form the church prayed for them, my mother immediately started making casseroles for them, and me and my friends … well, we couldn't find it in us to care much about them.

Our first meeting was more of a fluke than anything. I was at The Junction gassing up my jeep when I saw her. She was standing next to the newspaper dispenser with her brown curls blowing wildly around her face and a pair of big, white sunglasses covering her eyes. She had a cigarette pinched between her fingers and a bored expression on her face. She was beautiful in an exotic way, like she had paraded off the pages of some high-end fashion magazine and into my one-horse town. I couldn't stop staring at her as she brought the cigarette to her lips and took a long drag off of it. When she turned her head toward me and slid her glasses down her nose, giving me the stink eye, I knew I'd been caught. I turned away quickly, cringing when I felt my neck and face warm with a blush. I could still feel her eyes on me, and I wanted to melt into the pavement.

I hung the nozzle up as quickly as I could and headed inside to pay, careful not to look at her as I passed by. Truth be told, I didn't have an ample amount of experience with the ladies. I'd been on a few dates with some of the girls from town, but there were never any sparks and I didn't really mind that. School and my uncle's woodshop were where my attention was focused, and everything else was kind of an afterthought at that point.

I was on my way back to the jeep when some commotion in the lot caught my eye. I looked over and saw Bella pressed up against the door of a pickup truck. Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley stood on either side of her, and I could tell by the way she had her arms crossed over her chest that they were giving her unwanted attention. Mike reached out and pulled her sunglasses off, and when Bella tried to grab them from him he shook his head and held them out of her reach, then stuffing them in the front pocket of his flannel shirt.

"You'll have to work for these," he said, running the tips of his fingers down her bare arm. She tried to move away from him, but Crowley was there to stop her.

"Leaving so fast?" he sneered. Bella looked around helplessly, and when her eyes met mine they filled with relief.

"There you are." She smiled brightly, reclaiming her sunglasses when Mike looked over his shoulder at me.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Mike moved away from Bella, crossing his arms and smirking. "You think Eddie the Teddy Cullen is gonna come to your rescue?"

"I'm with him," she said, sliding under Tyler's arm and running to me. She slipped her hand in mine and gave it a squeeze.

Tyler's eyes widened with shock. "Yeah, right."

It took me a minute to realize what was going on, but when I did, I played right along with her. "She is," I said, pulling her closer to my side.

Mike laughed. "In town for less than a month and you're already slumming it with Edward Cullen? Either you're really as easy as they say you are, or you're just plain desperate." I watched as the color drained from Bella's cheeks. Tears brimmed her eyes and she looked like she was going to be sick.

The combination of Mike's words and watching her reaction to them ignited something inside of me. I let go of her hand and stalked toward Newton, pulling my fist back and punching him square in the nose.

"Ouch!" he cried, staggering backward and grabbing his face. Blood ran over his lips and down his chin,

"I don't know how your mama raised you, but that's not how I was brought up to treat a lady." I glanced over my shoulder at Bella, who was now trying to hold back her laughter, and then at Mike again. He was on his knees now with Crowley hunched over him. "Stay away from her. Both of you."

Bella was all smiles when I grabbed her hand and led her back to the jeep. I helped her into the passenger seat before circling the front and jumping in on the driver's side. I glanced in the rearview just in time to see Mike flip me the double bird.

"Oh my god, that was incredible!" Bella whooped, clutching her stomach and releasing a stream of laughter. I had no idea where my impromptu bravery had come from, but her delight made me smile.

"I've never hit anyone before," I admitted, flexing the fingers of my now sore hand.

Bella slipped her sunglasses back on and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "You'd never know."

"Can I have one of those?" I asked, tilting my head in the direction of the Marlboros. She nodded, taking two from the box and lighting them both at once. When she handed me one of them, I couldn't help but notice the peach colored lipstick that stained the filter.

"You're Edward Cullen I take it?" She tilted her head back and took a drag off her cigarette. She was even more beautiful up close. The white sundress she wore was a nice offset against her tan skin, and when the sun hit her hair just right I could see small streaks of red throughout it.

"Yep." I took a drag and slowed the jeep down. "And you must be Bella Swan."

"The one and only." She tilted her head toward me and smiled. "Thanks for helping me out back there."

"Mike Newton is such an asshole."

"No shit." She tossed her cigarette butt out the side of the jeep and crinkled her nose in disgust. "He's been on my tail since I moved here. I was stupid enough to go on one date with him and that opened the floodgates."

I shuddered. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

"I know that, but anyone subjected to a date with Mike Newton deserves condolences."

She looked over at me and laughed—loudly. "Touché."

We drove in silence until we reached the city limits. "Where am I dropping you off?" I asked. We'd been in the car for less than twenty minutes, but a part of me didn't want to leave her just yet.

As if she could read my mind, she asked, "Can I show you something?" I nodded and she pointed in front of us. "Turn off by the Stanley place and park alongside the tracks."

I did as she instructed, bringing the jeep to a stop at the edge of a dirt road. Bella climbed out and adjusted her dress, then took off into the woods that bordered the road. "You coming?" she called over her shoulder.

"Coming where?" I yelled. She kept on walking, and when I could barely see her through the leaves I took off after her.

We walked for a good ten minutes, ducking here and there to avoid tree branches, before finally coming to an open clearing. The ground was filled with hundreds of wildflowers. There were purple ones, red ones, yellow ones, and blue ones. They bloomed everywhere, and Bella ran to the center of them and sat down."

"What is this place?" I asked, dropping to the ground beside her.

She shrugged. "It's just a meadow. I found it when I was hiking around one day. I come out here when I want to be alone, or if I need to think." She fell back among the flowers, stretching her arms out above her head. I did the same, closing my eyes against the blinding sun.

"When did you move to town?" I asked. It was a lame question, and in a town our size everyone already knew the answer, but it sparked up a conversation that lasted for the rest of the afternoon. Bella told me all kinds of stories about growing up in Minneapolis and watching as her parents' marriage collapsed before her eyes. We talked about our likes and dislikes, what we wanted to do with our lives after we graduated, and where we saw ourselves in ten years. There were no awkward pauses and no bouts of uncomfortable silence. It was just she and I, getting to know one another for what we really were.

I was disappointed when she said she had to go. Everything about her intrigued me, and I'd have been lying if I said I wasn't attracted to her.

"Can I see you again?" I blurted out as I pulled up to her drive. She looked over at me with an amused expression.

"You can see me whenever you want." She leaned across the center console and gave me a chaste kiss on the lips, and then she was gone. My heart was racing, my palms were sweaty, and I couldn't stop the goofy grin from taking over my face.

As I watched her run up the driveway, I knew one thing:

I was hooked on Bella Swan.

**ooooo**


	2. Chapter 2

_**-2013-** _

It was almost midnight when I finally stopped reading and turned out the lights. I would have kept going all night, but I knew I knew I needed some rest. At forty-three my body just couldn't take the abuse that was sleep deprivation.

I woke the next morning to find that the forecast had been right. There was over a foot of fresh snow covering everything, and I made a mental note to thank Emmett for convincing me to stay in Duluth rather than try to drive home.

I showered and gathered up my things, calling Tanya once more to check and see how everyone was. I renewed my promise to make it home that evening, since I hadn't managed to at all over the course of the weekend, and checked out of my room.

Old Man Winter had the ability to turn a fifteen-minute jaunt into an hour-long commute, and that was exactly what happened on my return trip to the hospital. The roads weren't fully plowed and the packed snow was slick and hard to navigate. I managed to make it there safely nonetheless, and found Bella's neurological team gathered around her bed when I finally arrived.

"Good Morning, Edward," Angela greeted me. I set my stuff down in the corner of the room and ran a hand through my still-damp hair.

"Morning." I looked expectantly at her, hoping for some type of an explanation about the number of people in the room.

Dr. Weber knew me well, and she got right down to the nitty gritty of things. "We were just discussing our plans for the next few days," she explained. "We'll be decreasing the pentobarbital gradually over the next three days. We dropped the dose somewhat last night, and so far we haven't seen any new swelling or causes for concern."

"Over three days you said?"

Angela nodded. "She'll be completely off of the medication by Wednesday."

"Wow." After six weeks of no answers, it was strange to hear one that sounded so final, yet so good. "Well, I guess that's a positive thing, right?"

"I think so." Dr. Weber smiled and then turned to face the rest of the team. "Let's give Edward some space, shall we? I'm sure he'd like the chance to be alone with his wife."

I took off my boots once everyone was gone, slipping on the house shoes once more and taking a seat in my usual spot next to her bed. A nurse came in to do her routine checks, but once she was gone I leaned forward, caressing Bella's cheek with the back of my hand.

"Did you hear that, baby? They're slowing down the meds, bringing you out of this thing." I felt my eyes brim with tears as I stared at her seemingly lifeless form. Six weeks in that bed, and the only time she'd changed positions was when the nurses came in to give her a bath or reposition some sensors. Bella wasn't the type to stay still for too long, and I could only imagine her reaction if she were to see herself laid up like that.

"The kids will be so happy to hear about this," I continued, bending down to kiss the area my fingers had just caressed. "They have so much to tell you. Coach asked Riley to be the starting quarterback this fall. Can you believe it? I can't either." I continued talking for another minute or so, filling her in on everything from the weather to the journal. I had no idea whether she could hear me or not, but I always tried to approach the situation like she could.

"I'm going to let you rest now, Bells. But I'll be right here." I squeezed her hand once and then pulled my fingers away. It wasn't even eleven yet, which meant there was probably nothing good on television. Emmett wouldn't be by to meet me for lunch for another hour, so I pulled out the journal once more, continuing where I'd left off the night before.

* * *

_**-October 1987-** _

After our first encounter, Bella and I were inseparable. The rest of the summer went by in a blur. We spent days on the North Shore and nights in the meadow, where we talked for hours about everything and anything. My friends adored her, and it didn't take long at all for her to fall perfectly into place in our social circle. We were the talk of the town as word of our relationship spread like wildfire.

We continued to spend time together when school started, working around classes and homework and after school jobs. I'd never been big on dances, but when homecoming time came, Bella made it known that she wanted to go. She trekked to Duluth with Alice and Rose to find a dress and arranged to have her makeup done by Mrs. Cope. The thought of spending the night in the school gym, surrounded by a bunch of people I didn't care to know was less than thrilling. But seeing the look on Bella's face when we arrived at the dance made the night worth it.

"Do you feel that?" Bella whispered. I stopped pouring punch and turned around.

"Feel what?"

"It's like there's this magic in the air." She spun in a circle and the fabric of her dress swished around her ankles.

I rolled my eyes and resumed the task at hand. "You're crazy."

"Where's your sense of romance, Edward?" Bella took the glass of punch I offered and sipped on it.

"This is a high school homecoming dance, Bella. It's not like we're at the Duchess of Richmond's ball." I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her to me. "Wait until Newton gets so drunk he pukes down the front of Jessica's dress. That's when the magic happens."

"You're terrible," she said, but her eyes were shining and a smile danced on her lips.

The night passed quickly, and much to my surprise, I had a pretty good time. Bella, Alice, and Rose danced like fools to "I Wanna Dance with Somebody," Mr. Banner threw Newton out halfway through the dance, and none of us got caught when we snuck out behind the school to smoke the fatty that Jasper had brought in with him.

Bella and I took off before the rest of our friends and ended up in the field behind her house. We parked my jeep and climbed in the backseat, putting a blanket over ourselves and staring up at the stars that decorated the night sky.

"It's so beautiful up here," she breathed. "You can't see stars like this in the cities. I mean you can see a few, but it's like they all come out of hiding up here. It's breathtaking."

"You're breathtaking," I whispered, running my nose along her ear and pressing my lips against the soft skin of her neck. Bella shivered, and I knew it wasn't from the chilly air.

She turned to face me, her chocolate colored eyes sparkling with emotion. "You know what the best thing about moving here is?" I shook my head. "You."

She kept her eyes on me, and the longer I stared into them the further and further gone I became. When I looked back in time, I had no idea how I'd made it through the seventeen years I did without her in my life. Everything P.B., or Pre-Bella, was a blur. I'd fallen quick and I'd fallen hard, and in that moment I knew—I loved her and I needed her to know.

I reached out and brushed a few stray tendrils of hair away from her eyes, trailing my fingertips over her cheek and down her jaw. I tipped my head forward until my forehead was pressed against hers and took a deep breath.

"I love you."

Her eyes were brimmed with tears as she reached up and wound her arms around my neck. "I love you too, Edward. You silly, hopelessly unromantic boy." I tilted my head and pressed my mouth to hers softly. The kiss was innocent at first, but soon it deepened, and when she parted her lips I let my tongue dart inside for a taste. She was sweet and soft, like cashmere and velvet, and all I wanted was to get lost in her and never be found.

We stayed that way, a tangle of limbs and locked lips, until the sun began throwing its first rays across the sky. I hated to see Bella go, but it felt different this time. I loved her and she loved me. I was alive in a way I'd never been before. Suddenly the future wasn't just about what I wanted; it was about what she wanted and what we both wanted. We were young, and some people would probably think we were also foolish, but we were in love.

And that was the only thing that mattered.

**ooooo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact #1: Bruno, MN is a real town. In fact, it's the town my dad grew up in and currently resides in.
> 
> Fun Fact #2: The Bear's Den is actual name of the town bar.
> 
> Let's hear it for young love and not knowing any better! ;)


	3. Chapter 3

_**-2013-** _

"Has Angela given you any indication of what she thinks will happen when the meds are completely gone?" Emmett sat across from me in the hospital cafeteria. He had a mountain of food piled up on his tray, and for what must have been the hundredth time over the course of our friendship, I wondered how he didn't have cholesterol that was through the roof.

"Not exactly." I took a bite of my burger, chewing it completely before replying. "They can't really predict how anyone will … behave when coming out of something like this. There are so many variables that play a role in the recovery process, and each case is different."

"Listen to you, Cullen. You sound like a doctor yourself."

"Nah, I've just become especially well-versed in all of this. I owe it to Google." Emmett chuckled, his expressing growing serious.

"How are you holding up? You tell me you're fine, and I take it at face value, but … are you really okay? If it were Rosie lying in that bed upstairs, I'd be a fucking mess."

"I have to be okay," I answered honestly. "The kids count on me to be the rock in times like this. Even if I wanted to fall the fuck apart—and god knows there have been plenty of times when I did—I can't do that to them."

"Well, you're amazing my friend." Emmett took a sip of his coffee and leaned back in the chair.

"How is Rose?"

"Good. They just assigned her to a new classroom for the spring, so she's a bit nervous, but she's been doing this for so long that I'm sure it'll be fine." Rose had been working as a teacher at the high school in Sandstone for the past fifteen years. She loved the kids and loved her job but hated change, much like the rest of us.

"And you? Do you have any new pieces of architectural brilliance in the works?" Emmett had made a name for himself in the architectural field, eventually opening his own firm there in Duluth.

"I don't know if I would call a cabin in the woods architectural brilliance, but that's my latest project." He drained his coffee and tapped his fingers on the tabletop. "Two stories, three bedrooms, lots of acreage. and a custom built hot tub enclosure. Plus it's on lakeshore property. It makes me wonder who these people are and where their money comes from."

I laughed, appreciating the sheer normalcy of our conversation. My life had been anything but for the past month and a half, and seeing that it still could be the way it was before gave me some comfort.

Emmett glanced at his watch and gave me an apologetic look. "I probably should get going," he said, placing his garbage on the tray in front of him. "I have a two thirty meeting with one of the city inspectors. If he decides to brave this weather, that is."

I followed suit, collecting my trash and taking my tray to the dishwashing area. "Thanks for meeting me," I said when we reached the hospital entrance.

"Of course. Same time tomorrow?"

"Same time, same place." I reached my hand out intending to shake his, but Emmett grabbed it and pulled me to him, engulfing me in one of his always-famous bear hugs.

"If you need anything—anything at all—call me. Day or night, snow or shine. I'm here for you, Edward."

"Thanks, Em. I appreciate that."

When I got to Bella's room, three nurses were working together to give her a bed bath. I'd seen my wife naked plenty of times, but whenever I stayed in the room I felt like I was violating her privacy. So I grabbed my journal and trekked down to the family waiting room.

The chairs weren't nearly as comfortable as the ones in Bella's room, but the waiting room on that floor had the best coffee. So, I made myself a cup and settled in, continuing my trip down memory lane.

* * *

_**-March 1988-** _

After Bella and I said, "I love you" once, we were saying it all the time. Some couples tossed the term around casually, but for us it wasn't like that. I felt Bella's love in everything she did. It was there in the smile that lit her face when she saw me. It was there in her fingers that held my hand while we walked the halls at school. It was there in her words as she told Charlie about our plans to go to UMD together after graduation. It was ever-present and intense; more intense than anything I'd experienced up until that point.

Our relationship grew stronger as the months passed. We'd had small spats along the way, but nothing major, and when our friends or my family asked me questions about the future, I could honestly say I knew Bella would play an integral role in it.

Little did I know one spring night would change everything.

It was a Friday and I was out with Emmett and my other friends. Bella and Charlie were in the Twin Cities visiting her grandparents for the weekend, and even though I missed the hell out of her, I knew a weekend away wouldn't kill either of us.

"Who's running The Bear's Den if Charlie is in Minneapolis?" Emmett asked. The night was young and we were perched on the gate of his truck, trying to decide how to spend the remainder of it.

"Billy Black. He's Charlie's right hand man," I explained.

"Huh. You think he'd give us a bottle of Jack?" Emmett wiggled his eyebrows mischievously and I rolled my eyes.

"He knows we're all underage, ass."

"He's also a pervy old dude who would probably be easily persuaded by a good-looking girl half his age." Emmett looked over at Rose, who immediately shook her head.

"Don't you dare ask me to go in the bar and hit on him. I love you Em, but not enough to do that," she said. Emmett sighed.

"I bet Garrett would get us a bottle," Jasper pointed out. Garrett was his older brother, and he usually didn't have a problem helping us find a way to party. Emmett liked this idea, and an hour later we were hooked up with our favorites—whiskey and rum.

We drove to the outskirts of town and parked Emmett's truck, unloading a collection of lawn chairs and rounding up some firewood. Pretty soon we had a fire blazing and the liquor flowing.

"So, you and Bella are getting pretty serious, huh?" Jasper asked, dropping down in the open chair next to me. I smiled like a loon at the mention of my girlfriend.

"Totally."

"What happens after graduation? Wedding bells and babies and all that shit?"

I laughed. "I don't know how quick that'll happen, but we'll head off to college together for sure."

"Can I let you in on a secret?" Jasper asked. I nodded, and he leaned close enough so only I could hear him. "We've got a pool going."

"Who has a pool going?"

"Us," he said, gesturing to the rest of our friends. "We took bets on when you'll pop the question. I said after graduation, so please do me a favor and wait until then, okay? That's $100 bucks in my pocket if you do."

I opened my mouth to speak, but instead burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Emmett asked, barreling over to where we were and clapping a massive hand down on each of our shoulders.

"Jasper was just telling me how he thinks Mrs. Banner has a bodacious body," I sputtered. Jasper turned to glare at me and I shrugged innocently.

Emmett shook with laughter. "Dude, that's so wrong! Banner's old lady is anything but bodacious!"

We carried on like that, enjoying the booze and each other's company for hours. It was after three in the morning when Emmett brought us back to The Bear's Den, where we'd all met up when the night began.

We were about to part ways when Emmett found a package of bottle rockets stuffed behind his seat.

"No fucking way!" he shouted, jumping out of the truck and retrieving the empty Jack Daniels bottle from the bed. "I think I just found us a nightcap!"

"You should probably do that when you're sober," Jasper cautioned. Emmett wasn't listening though. He was busy tearing the wrapping off and stuffing five rockets in the neck of the Jack bottle.

"Dude, you can't light all those at once!" I stepped forward to try and take them away, but Emmett stuck his arm out and stopped me.

"Relax, Cullen." He twisted the rockets around so that the fuses were all on one side of the bottle and then pulled a lighter out of his pocket.

"Emmett, no!" Rose yelled, but it was too late. We watched in horror as he lit all five rockets and jumped back. They exploded and whizzed in the air with a loud whistle, barely clearing the roof of the bar before falling from the sky and landing on top of the wooden structure.

"Holy shit!" Emmett kicked the bottle over and made a beeline for his truck.

"What the fuck are you doing, man?" I shouted. Emmett said nothing as he jumped in the cab and started the engine. Jasper, Alice, and Rose were in the bed in an instant, leaving me standing alone outside of the bar.

"Edward! Get in the truck!" Emmett bellowed. I looked behind me where plumes of thick, white smoke were already beginning to billow up into the night sky.

"We need to call the fire department," I said, but my words were met with protest from everyone.

"We can't do that, Edward. We'll all get arrested! My dad will kill me!" Alice looked at me with pleading eyes.

"But Charlie-"

Emmett cut me off. "Get in the truck, Edward!"

I stood there for another minute, stuck between a proverbial rock and a hard place. I knew that the right thing to do would be to call the fire department. Even if it meant taking the fall for Emmett's actions, at least that might give them the chance of salvaging the bar.

I was terrified of Bella's reaction, however, and that fear was what drove me to run across the parking lot and jump in the back of the truck myself.

.

.

.

The next morning, The Bear's Den was nothing more than a pile of burnt wood and ashes.

Bella called me as soon as she got back to town.

"Did you hear about the bar?" The panic in her voice made me feel guiltier than I already did.

"Yeah," I said.

"Who would have done such a thing?" Her voice trembled, and when I closed my eyes all I could picture was her face with tears coursing down it.

"It was us." I spit the words out quickly.

"What?" When I didn't answer, she yelled into the phone. "WHAT?"

"It was us," I repeated, slower and louder. The other end of the line was silent, and I thought she might have hung up.

"I don't believe that," she finally whispered.

"We were drinking and Emmett had some bottle rockets and … it was an accident, Bella. I swear, we didn't mean to."

She choked out a sob and I could feel my heart breaking. "How could you do this?"

"I don't know. Bella … I'm sorry." It was completely lame, but it was all I had to offer.

She hung up then, and I wasn't surprised when Charlie Swan showed up on my parents' doorstep a half hour later.

What followed was one of the worst experiences of my teenage years. My dad, Carlisle, ushered me downstairs, where I was forced to relay the entire story to Charlie. By the time I finished he was seething.

"How could you be so careless, Edward?" My mom, Esme, had asked. I looked down at my lap as shame bubbled up in my chest.

"I tried to stop him-"

"You shouldn't have even been there!" Charlie shouted. The tone and volume of his voice made me wince. "You're seventeen, son. You have no business being out at three in the morning, and especially not drinking."

I swallowed hard. "I know, sir."

"I hope you're happy with yourself." Charlie stood and ran a hand through his hair. "This doesn't just hurt me, Edward; it hurts Bella too."

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Charlie shook his head in disgust and headed for the door.

"Stay away from my daughter," he called over his shoulder.

"You don't mean that, Charlie," Esme said. When he turned to face me once more, I knew that he did.

"I mean every last word. I don't want you going near her." He narrowed his eyes and stared me down for a beat before leaving the house.

"Dad, I-"

"Go upstairs, Edward. I have nothing to say to you right now." Carlisle tipped his head back and pinched the bridge of his nose. I looked at my mom, hoping she would back me up, but she didn't look any more thrilled than he did.

As I trudged upstairs, I wished I could take back Friday night in its entirety. I wished that I had never decided to go out, had never drank too many shots, and had never been in the parking lot of the bar when Emmett found the bottle rockets.

I wished that I would have stayed behind and called the sheriff, because the wrath of the law would have been a hell of a lot less painful to deal with than the wrath of Charlie Sawn and now the loss of Bella.

God only knew, a world without Bella was a world too painful to live in.

**ooooo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact #3: The Bear's Den really did burn down. Except it wasn't an accident. And the guy who owned it (my cousin) didn't have insurance. Oopsies!


	4. Chapter 4

**-2013-**

I caught up with Angela one more time that afternoon. After she assured me that she would call if there were any new developments, I gathered up my things, said goodbye to Bella, and made the 45-minute trip home.

Kate was all smiles and excitement when I came through the door.

"Dad!" My youngest jumped up from the couch, racing across the room and throwing her arms around me. I picked her up and twirled her around.

"You're going to throw your back out one day when you do that," Tanya scolded. Kate rolled her eyes at her sister and let out a loud, exasperated sigh.

"You're so dramatic, Tan."

"She's just looking out for me," I said, earning me an eye roll. Tanya shook her head, but I could tell she was fighting back a smile.

"We made cheeseburger soup for dinner, cause it's your favorite," Kate said, ignoring my defense of her sister. I kicked off my shoes and rubbed my stomach enthusiastically.

"I'm sure it's delicious too! Can I talk to you sister for a few minutes before we eat?" Kate rocked bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet.

"Sure! I'm going to go tell Riley you're here! He's out back getting wood for the fire." She took off then, and I found myself envious of the amount of energy she had. _Oh, to be 14 again._

Once Kate was out of earshot, Tanya and I sat down on the sofa. "How is she?"

"They're weaning her off of the drugs," I explained. Tanya's eyes widened.

"They don't do that unless they're sure she's going to recover, do they?"

I wanted to offer my oldest all the hope in the world, but I knew I needed to be honest with her. At 24, Tanya would soon be a mother herself, and Bella and I always strived to set a good example. "Doctors are never certain about the future of comatose patients, Tan. She's at a point physically where it's safe for them to bring her out of the drug-induced coma she's been in. But, nobody knows what will happen when she wakes up."

" _If_ she wakes up." Tanya cast her eyes to the floor and wiped her fingers across one cheek. I ran my hand over her hair and pulled her to me.

"We have to stay strong, sweetheart. Your mom needs us to keep our chins up now more than ever before."

I could sense Tanya's meltdown coming before she started to tremble in my arms. "What if we've been strong all this time and it ends up doing nothing?" she sobbed. "What if Mom doesn't wake up? Or what if she does, but she isn't Mom anymore? This is all so scary, Dad. The idea that she might never home again is even scarier than the thought of her going into a coma in the first place."

I rocked my daughter back and forth, trying to provide her with the same comfort I always had when she was just a little girl. "I know it's scary, Tan. But we have to remember that we don't have the answers. Nobody does in this case. All we can do is keep hoping for the best and giving what strength we can spare to your mom."

Once she calmed down a bit Tanya pulled away from me. "Kate insisted on making the soup for you. She's been a bit out of sorts with you both away."

"I'm sorry I've been gone like this," I apologized. "You have no idea how much I appreciate the fact that you came to stay with them. I know you and James have a lot going on with the new house and preparing for the baby."

"When all is said and done, the new house will be there. You guys are my heart. James gets it."

We talked for a bit more and I asked Tanya if she'd bring her siblings up to the hospital on Thursday. She agreed, though I could see the hesitation in her eyes. If there was even a remote chance that Bella would wake, I wanted all of us there together when it happened.

We sat down for dinner and the kids told me everything about the previous week. By the time we were done, I knew all about Riley's success with the football team, Kate's new crush, and who was asking whom to the winter formal. Once the dishes were washed and homework was finished, I took the trash out, stopping to look up at the night sky. Every star imaginable was lit up overhead, reminding me of my wife's main reason for loving the North Country like she did.

Kate and Riley headed to bed an hour later, and I roamed through the house, searching for my oldest daughter. I found her curled up on the couch with her nose buried in none other than my journal.

"Where did you find that?" I asked, sitting down next to her.

"It was under your coat." Tanya put the journal down and looked up at me with tear-streaked cheeks "Did you write it?"

I nodded. "I did."

"It's beautiful," she whispered.

"I wanted you kids to read it someday. Especially Kate. She's always been curious about how your mother and I met."

"Will you read to me?" Tanya handed me the book and scooted across the couch, resting her head on my shoulder and closing her eyes. "Tell me what you were like before you had me."

"I'd love to." I opened the page and cleared my throat. "The months following the accident…"

* * *

_**-May 1988-** _

The months following the accident at The Bear's Den were some of the worst in my history. They were some of the worst in _our_ history as well.

Charlie wasn't exaggerating when he said he didn't want me to go near his daughter. In fact, he did everything in his power to keep her from me, including having her moved out of the classes that we shared. In his mind I was just another asshole teenager that had no respect for the law, authority, or his little girl.

Bella was just as upset with me. I'd had a hand in the destruction of her father's lifeblood. Sure, he had insurance on the place and in time a new bar would eventually be built on the same spot of land, but his primary source of income was gone, and that put a big strain on their family.

The only good thing that came out of it all was Charlie deciding not to press charges. I wasn't the one who started the fire that destroyed his bar, but I was an accomplice of sorts, so I was relieved to find out that he'd decided to spare us of any legal repercussions.

I spent the majority of my newfound free time in my uncle's woodshop. I'd always gone there when I needed to decompress, but now I needed to escape, and that was what I did. I got so wrapped up in the ornate details of the things I crafted that I often forgot about all of my problems with Bella. Unfortunately I couldn't stay working forever, and as soon as I left the shop everything would hit me like a ton of bricks. I still had my friends but I didn't the person that meant the most to me, and that sucked.

Signs advertising senior prom started to pop up towards the end of April. The dance was on May 21, which also happened to be my 18th birthday. My friends were prepared to celebrate, but I wanted no part of it.

"C'mon, Edward," Alice whined. "You have to get out of this funk. I mean it's your 18th birthday. That's worth celebrating."

"She's right, man." Emmett picked up a kernel of popcorn and tossed it at my head. "I know things haven't been the greatest, but you can't stay stuck like this forever. Graduation is coming and that means a fresh start for us all."

I scowled. "Gee, I wonder why they haven't been the greatest?"

Emmett sighed. "I've said my apologies, Edward. That's the most I can do." It had taken Emmett and I a while to get back in each other's good graces. He was responsible for the fire that destroyed my relationship and I was responsible for his getting in trouble for it. It was a lose-lose situation for the both of us, but we'd somehow managed to find it in ourselves to forgive the other. I still felt some bitterness at times though, and that was one of them.

"Please don't fight," Rose pleaded. "I can't handle any arguing today."

"Why would I want to go to prom, Alice? I hate dances."

Alice arched one brow. "Correction—you _used to_ hate dances. You haven't seemed to mind any of the ones you've been to this year."

"I didn't mind them because I was in good company." I looked over Emmett's shoulder to where Bella was sitting, engrossed in whatever book she was reading. "Besides, I don't want to see her there with someone else. I can't handle that."

"She's not going with anyone else," Alice said. Despite everything that had happened, Bella still talked to the girls and Jasper. It bothered me at first, but I'd forced myself to get over it.

"Regardless, I don't want to be in the same room with her if I can't touch her, or even talk to her." I wrapped up the remainder of my turkey sandwich and pushed it away.

"You two are infuriating." Alice banged her hand down the table and I jumped. "She doesn't want to see you with anyone else and you don't want to see her with anyone else. You're always stealing glances at each other, which are incredibly obvious even though you're trying to be all sly about it. Just … go to the dance, Edward. I don't think you'll hate it as much as you think you will."

I spent the next few weeks contemplating what I should do. My curiosity finally got the best of me and I trekked to Duluth with Jasper and Emmett in search of a tux. Alice reassured me that Bella didn't have a date, and eventually I found myself standing awkwardly against the wall at my birthday party/senior prom.

A few of our classmates came up to wish me a happy birthday, but their words went in one ear and out the other. My mind was on one track that night, and I couldn't stop staring at the door, waiting for Bella to make her entrance.

By nine o'clock she still hadn't shown up, and I was feeling defeated. I said goodbye to my friends and was on my way outside when I found her.

"Edward?" Her hair was freshly curled and hung loosely around her face. She had a light coat of makeup on, and the royal blue dress she wore hugged her curves perfectly.

I couldn't think of anything to say, so I said what was on my mind. "You look beautiful."

A pink blush coated her cheeks and she looked down and smiled shyly. "Thank you."

"I was just leaving…" my words trailed off and I pointed to my jeep. She bit her lip and wrung her hands.

"Can I come with you?"

"Your dad will kill me," I pointed out. I wanted her to come with me more than anything, but I didn't want her to have to face the wrath of Charlie Swan if he found out.

She walked toward me, stopping when we were mere inches apart. Standing on her toes, she brought her lips to my ear. "I don't care what he thinks," she whispered. "I can't stay away from you."

Her warm breath left a trail of goose bumps on my skin. When she pulled away and looked up at me, I saw nothing but love and longing in her sweet brown eyes. I reached out and took her hand in mine, and together we made our way across the parking lot.

Her lips were on mine as soon as we were in the jeep. She kissed me with an intensity I'd never before experienced, like she was trying to erase my transgressions, make up for lost time, and mend what was broken between us. I pulled away and ran my knuckles over her cheek. She closed her eyes and pressed her face against me, and as my hand trailed lower, over her jaw, down her neck and across the top of her breasts, I felt her shiver.

"I've missed you," I murmured, pulling her to me and kissing her again. She was breathless when we parted, and she tipped her head forward, resting it on my chest.

"I've missed you too. So much."

I ran my hands through her hair, marveling at how soft it felt. I had no idea what would happen after that night, no idea whether Charlie would relax his rules or maintain them, but in that moment, everything felt right again.

"I was so mad," she went on. "Charlie worked so hard to buy that place, and then one night of stupidity destroyed it all. But I shouldn't have let it tear us up like it did. I shouldn't have focused all of my anger on you, Edward, especially since you weren't the one who lit it up. I just … I didn't know what else to do."

"Shh," I whispered, kissing the top of her head. "You had every right to be upset. I didn't start the fire, but I should have called the police, or done something to help stop it. I'm sorry that I screwed up like that."

She pulled me close to her, and for the first time in weeks I felt like things might be okay again.

"Let's get out of here," she whispered, sitting up. I took her hand in mine and squeezed it.

"To where?"

"Anywhere."

I started the jeep and pointed it in the direction of the Stanley house. When I pulled to the side of the road, Bella smiled.

"I can't hike through the woods in these shoes."

"True," I agreed. "But I can carry you." I walked around to Bella's side of the jeep, removing her heels and turning around so she could climb on my back. I maneuvered through the trees carefully, following the path I'd come to know so well.

We arrived in the meadow and I crouched down so Bella could stand.

"We forgot a blanket, " she pointed out, rubbing her hands up and down on her arms. I took my tuxedo jacket off and covered her with it.

"We sure did."

"It's oaky," she said, sitting down and crossing her legs beneath her. I dropped down on the grass next to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"Remember the first time we came out here?" I asked. Bella tipped her head back and laughed.

"You rescued me from Nasty Newton and Creepy Crowley," she said. I chuckled at her nicknames for them.

"We talked for hours that afternoon. About everything. And you know what I realized that day?" I leaned down and kissed her neck. "I realized I wanted you in my life permanently."

She gasped and turned to face me. I grabbed her hip with one hand and cupped her face with the other, pulling her onto my lap until she straddled me. I caught her lips with mine, coaxing them apart with my tongue as it sought hers out. She ran her hands over my shoulders and down my chest, stopping when she reached the first button my shirt. I could see the question in her eyes when mine met them, and I nodded my permission. My lips found hers once more as her fingers began to undo the buttons. I'd imagined this experience so many times, but now that it was finally happening I was scared shitless.

"Happy Birthday, Edward," Bella whispered. "I love you."

That night, Bella showed me just how true those words were.

And together we shared another fist.

**ooooo**


	5. Chapter 5

_**-2013-** _

Wednesday arrived quicker than I thought it would.

"Dad?" I rolled onto my back and rubbed my face. It took a minute for me to realize that I was on the sofa.

"What are you doing down here?" When I opened my eyes I saw Riley staring down at me. He looked rather amused by the situation.

"He fell asleep there last night, and I didn't want to disturb him." Tanya was now peering down at me as well. "It's almost eight, by the way."

"Almost eight? Why did you let me sleep so long?" I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the couch. Tanya handed me a cup of coffee, for which I was grateful.

"I figured you could use it. Besides, you look like you haven't had a good night's sleep in months."

"Thanks," I muttered. I chugged down the coffee, ignoring the burning sensation the hot liquid left behind as it traveled down my throat. I was in the shower minutes later, and ready to get on the road by nine.

"Has anyone from St. Mary's called?" I asked. Tanya shook her head, handing me more coffee sealed tightly in a Styrofoam cup.

"Drive safe, please? You don't need to set a record for the fastest time getting there."

I kissed my daughter on the cheek and took off.

I was no more than ten miles from home when nostalgia got the best of me. I'd spent the past two nights reading different parts of the journal to Tanya, which had led to my dreaming about the days when Bella and I were teenagers. Back then we were so caught up in the way we felt that we failed to see the big picture overall. Sometimes I wondered how we were still together, especially since the cards had been stacked against us for the later part of our senior year.

I couldn't help but chuckle when I thought about how determined Charlie was to keep us apart. It wasn't funny back then, but in the grand scheme of things, it sure seemed so now.

There were no neurological teams waiting for me in Bella's room that day. The nurses made their rounds as usual, but other than that it was a relatively quiet and uneventful afternoon, something for which I was grateful.

I stared at the journal, which I'd brought with me once again. I never thought about reading it to Bella, but now as we sat there alone while the drugs worked their way out of her system, I thought it probably couldn't hurt. There was no evidence to prove whether or not comatose individuals could hear things going on around them. I knew that the next 24 to 48 hours would be crucial, because it was during that time that Bella would likely wake up, if she was going to. The thought of her not knowing where she was or what had happened was bad enough, but idea that she might not know _who_ she was either was enough to kill me. I flipped through the journal, landing at the spot where I'd left off with Rosalie. Perhaps my words would act as a guiding light, helping her fine her way back to us.

_It couldn't hurt to try._

I leaned forward in the chair until my elbows were resting on the tops of my knees. I looked up at my wife and then back down at my own familiar scrawl, beginning to read.

* * *

_**-June 1988-** _

As far as Charlie knew, Bella and I weren't together. And we weren't—not publicly at least. Behind closed doors and in the presence of our friends, we were back in full force, hotter, heavier, and even more in love than we were before.

Graduation was a big deal in our small town, and an even bigger one for Bella and I. Two days after the ceremony she would turn eighteen, which meant that Charlie could no longer forbid her from letting me be a part of her life.

"I can't wait until we don't have to hide anymore," I murmured, kissing my way across her collarbone. Bella shivered and tangled her fingers in my hair.

"I know. Just one more week." She looked over at the clock next to my bed and sighed. "I need to get home. Charlie will be back from Sandstone in a half hour."

"Mmmm, stay here with me." I tugged her tank top down and captured her nipple in my mouth, eliciting a gasp from her.

"I want to, but…" I cupped her other breast in my hand, rolling her nipple between my thumb and forefinger. She tugged at my hair and sighed. "I have to go."

I gave each breast a chaste kiss before rolling over. She righted her clothing and sat up.

"One more week," she repeated, leaning down to kiss me. I reached up and tickled her sides, sending her into a fit of laughter.

"Tell Charlie hi for me," I joked, slapping her ass when she stood up. She looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes.

"I'll see you tomorrow, stud muffin."

"Love you!" I yelled.

"Love you too!"

I was still lying there, staring up at the ceiling, when my mom knocked on the bedroom door. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," I said, pulling myself up into a sitting position. She crossed the room and took a seat on the edge of my bed.

"You know, your father and I don't like hiding things for you," she began. When I started to roll my eyes, she held a single finger up to stop me. "But, we've been doing it because we love you and we love Bella. And even though we're still not happy about the part you played in what happened to The Bear's Den this spring, we've never felt his no-contact stipulation was fair."

"I appreciate that," I said, focusing my eyes everywhere but on my mom's face. I hated it when she got emotional, and that seemed to be the route the conversation was taking.

"That being said, you both graduate in a week, and I would hope that once your ceremony is over and you're free from the confines of high school, you'll be able to have that conversation with Charlie."

I slung my legs over the side of the bed and stood, stretching my arms high above my head. "Bella's birthday is two days after graduation, Ma. We can tell Charlie after that."

Esme seemed satisfied with this plan. "Good." She stood as well, motioning at the door. "Your father should be home any minute and dinner's ready. Why don't you wash up and help me set the table?"

"Sure. I'll be down in a minute." Once I knew she was downstairs, I opened my sock drawer and dug my hand around. I pulled out the velvet box I'd hidden in there, opening the lid and inspecting the ring that was seated inside. The diamond solitaire wasn't huge, but it was what I could afford, and I knew at the end of the day that Bella wouldn't want something big and flashy. Despite my initial impressions of her, she was a relatively simple kind of girl, and as long as I presented the token of my love when I asked the big question, I knew she'd be happy.

Jasper's words about the proposal pool played over in my mind, and I couldn't help but laugh. Back then I had no intention of asking Bella to marry me so soon, but the past few months had changed a lot of things, and I'd come to the realization that Bella was truly it for me. I wanted her and only her, and so asking her to commit to the next leg of our journey together didn't seem like such a bad idea to me.

I tucked the ring back where I was keeping it hidden and made my way downstairs.

Graduation would formally mark the end of our high school days.

And, if all went as planned, it would also become the night that Bella Swan agreed to spend the rest of her life with me.

.

.

.

Our commencement was relatively short, given that our class consisted of a whopping 89 kids. The school provided coffee, cake and juice in the gym following the ceremony, but when everyone parted ways and then sun went down, the real fun began.

"Cheers to end of high school!" Emmett held a can of beer up and grinned. The rest of us held our drinks up too, toasting to the idea of no more homework or catty cliques. We were at Eric Yorkie's house, where a post-graduation kegger was in full swing. I was careful not to drink too much, as I planned on popping the question later when Bella and I had a moment or two alone.

"I can't believe we did it," Alice squealed, wrapping Bella and Rose up in an awkward, drunken hug.

"I know! Where did the last year go?" Bella looked over the top of Alice's head and smiled at me. "No more homework or football games or cheesy dances."

My eyebrows shot up. "Cheesy dances? You made me go to every one of them!"

"Only cause I wanted an excuse to spend time with you." Bella winked and I felt my jaw drop.

"Oh c'mon, you had fun at those dances and you know it!" Alice said, slapping my arm and giggling. Alice on a sober day was sometimes hard to handle, but once she had a few drinks in her I usually wanted to strangle her.

We left Yorkie's house and made a stop at the Stanley's place. Enough of our classmates were throwing parties that we could have continued to hop like that until dawn, but after our third stop at the Denali farm, I pulled Bella aside and asked if she wanted to go.

"I thought you'd never ask," she said, eyes twinkling and skin flushed with excitement. We said goodbye to our friends and found my jeep. The ring was all but burning a hole in my pocket, and even though I had what I considered a grandiose proposal in the meadow planned out, I only made it as far as the field behind Bella's house before the anticipation got the best of me.

I pulled off the dirt road and parked in the tall grass. The sky above us was clear, and just like we had the night we first said, "I love you", we climbed into the back seat and tossed a blanket over our laps.

"Couldn't handle the overwhelming crowds anymore, huh?" Bella teased. I chuckled.

"If these crowds are overwhelming, I have no idea how we're going to navigate UMD in three months."

"We might have to take up day drinking," Bella joked, snuggling into my side and looking up at the sky. "I know I've said it at least a dozen times, but the stars will forever me my favorite part of coming here from the cities."

I shifted so that I was facing her. I saw a myriad of emotions swimming in the deep brown pools that were her eyes, but the most prominent one staring back at me was love.

"Bella..." my words melted away as I tried to remember everything I'd spent the past two days rehearsing. When I drew a blank, I said a silent prayer and improvised, my voice thick with emotion. "I know we're young and we haven't had a chance to see the world in its entirety, but if I were to die tomorrow I could do so happily, simply because I've had the chance to spend the last year with you."

She sat up straighter, focused intently on my words. The look of adoration on her face was enough to keep me going. "When I think of my future, you're in it. When I think about what college will be like, I'm comforted by the simple fact that you'll be by my side through the experience. When I wonder what kind of home I'll have or car I'll drive or life I'll live … it's not a terrifying thing to do, because you're a part of every piece in this puzzle. Simply put, you're my life. And you have been for months." I slipped the box out of my pocket and held it up where she could see it. Her eyes grew wide, her face lit up, and she brought both hands up to cover her mouth.

"Promise me you'll always be a part of my life, Bella," I continued, opening the box and taking the ring out. "Promise me you'll be Mrs. Edward Cullen someday."

She said nothing as tears began to fall from her eyes. Her silence was just starting to worry me when she flung her arms around me and pulled me close to her.

"I promise," she whispered in my ear. I could feel her smile against my skin, and when she pulled back and looked at me again, I was certain I had tears in my own eyes as well. I grabbed her left hand in mine and slid the ring on her fourth finger, where it fit perfectly.

"I love you," I said, cupping her face with my hands and placing a chaste kiss on each of her eyelids. Bella slid her hands up over my chest and shoulders, linking her fingers behind my neck and hugging me tightly.

"I love you too."

.

.

.

Two days later, I found myself on the road that led to Bella's farmhouse. It was the first time since the fire that I'd been there, and though I promised myself I'd stay calm for what we were about to do, I couldn't stop the tidal wave of anxiety that washed over me the minute I hit her driveway.

I slowed the jeep to a crawl and took a deep breath. Bella was eighteen as of that morning, and there wasn't a damn thing Charlie could do about our relationship anymore. The thought alone was enough to provide some comfort, but as the trees broke and the house came into view, I wondered if we would be better off waiting a while before we announced anything.

I parked and cut the engine, taking five deep breaths to calm my nerves. I was about to climb out when Charlie's angry voice flooded out of the open windows.

"Nothing's changed, Bella. I don't like that boy and I don't want you hanging around him!"

"I'm an adult now, _Charlie_." My jaw dropped when I heard Bella say those words. She _never_ called her dad by his name. "It doesn't matter what you want. I can make my own decisions, and I want to be with Edward. I love him and that's all there is to it."

"Love?" Charlie laughed. "You're a kid, Bells. You don't even know what love is! And you might be eighteen, but that doesn't mean you can run around this town doing whatever the hell you please. As long as you're living under my roof, you'll abide by my rules, and I will not tolerate you seeing that boy!"

I heard glass break and a door slam. It was quiet for all a two minutes before Bella whipped the front door open and blazed through it. She had a suitcase in one hand and her purse in the other, and Charlie was right on her heels.

"Where do you think you're going?" he shouted, but Bella didn't pay him any mind. She ran to where I was parked and threw her things in the back of the jeep. When she turned to face her dad she pulled her ring out of the pocket of her jeans and slid it on her finger, holding her hand up in the air for Charlie to see.

"We're engaged, Charlie! We're gonna get married and there's not a damn thing you can do to stop us!" I tried to say something, but Bella shushed me and continued. "You say as long as I'm under your roof I have to follow your rules? Well then, I'm not living under your roof anymore! You're not going to stop me from being with the person I love, Charlie."

"Isabella Marie," he boomed, starting down the steps and across the yard. "If you get in that jeep and drive away, you don't get to come back! I won't tolerate this kind of disrespect form anyone, least of all my own daughter!"

Bella stared at him for a mere second before climbing up in the jeep and slapping her hand against the dashboard. "Drive, Edward."

"But-"

"Drive!" She commanded. I fired up the engine and threw her in gear, peeling out of Charlie's driveway and leaving him behind in a cloud of dust.

"Where are we going?"

Tears were coursing down her cheeks now, and when I reached out to wipe my thumb across her face she pushed my hand away.

"I have no idea. Just drive, Edward. Just drive."

Neither of us knew what we were doing or where we were going. So, we did what any pair of emotionally charged, in love eighteen year olds would do.

We eloped.

**ooooo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact #4: I have never eloped. Nor do I know anyone who has. Well ... maybe not until now at least. Have any of YOU eloped?


	6. Chapter 6

_**-2013-** _

"That's quite the story you're reading there." I looked up from the journal and saw Angela leaning against the doorframe. She smiled as she entered the room, perching herself on the chair next to mine.

"Well, we were quite the pair when we were younger," I said, bending the corner of one page to keep my spot and closing the cover.

"You still are."

I chuckled. "Maybe. Twenty-five years has slowed us down a little. And brought some wisdom with it."

"You're still crazy in love, though. That's all that matters." Angela crossed one leg over the other and focused her attention on the monitors that surrounded Bella's bed. "She'll be completely off of the pentobarbital by the end of the night. There's a pretty good chance she can hear everything you're reading to her right now."

I laid the book on the floor at my feet and grabbed Bella's hand in both of mine. Some of the color had returned to her face, and I found myself wondering what her eyes would look like after all this time. Would they still have the same sparkle to them? Would they be darker, lighter, or the same chocolate shade of brown? Would there be more lines around them, or would some of the stress be gone from them? As I watched her chest rise and fall with assistance from the ventilator, I couldn't help but wonder what, if any, differences there'd be when my wife came back to me.

"I want to make it easier on her," I explained. "I've done so much research, read so many articles on medically induced comas during the last month and a half. Every patient comes out different, but confusion, disorientation, and agitation seem to be common denominators among all cases. Perhaps I'm foolish to think this way, but I hope that hearing our story—my name, the kids' names, our parent's names—will take some of that confusion away. I don't want her to be frightened, Angela. Seeing that will break my heart."

Dr. Weber reached out and squeezed my knee supportively. "Edward, we need to talk about something. We can do it here, or we can do it in my office. It's up to you, but I'm not sure it's something you would want Bella to hear."

I knew what was coming, but no matter how many times I'd tried to prepare myself for this conversation, it did no good. My heartbeat sped up, my hands started to tremble, and my mouth went dry. I squeezed Bella's hand once more and stood, clearing the emotion from my throat. "Can we talk in the hallway?"

"Of course." Angela followed me out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes, completely unprepared for what I was about to hear.

"Lay it on me, Ang. What is it?"

"This is never an easy conversation for a doctor to have, but it's even worse to have it with you, Edward. Bella isn't just a colleague; she's a friend and a confidant. I sincerely hope she opens her eyes, moves a muscle, or does anything in the next few days. But as with any brain injury, there's always the possibility that she won't.

"Bella was unconscious and unresponsive when the medics brought her in here, Edward. She suffered a severe head trauma, as you know, and there was already a fair amount of swelling by the time we brought her in for the first scans and MRI. The electroencephalography shows brain activity, so please don't interpret this as my telling you she's already gone, because I'm not. I just want you to be ready to face the possibility that Bella might not wake up."

I couldn't look Angela in the eye. If I did, the calm façade I had so carefully erected would tumble down around me, and I would be reduced to nothing more than a blubbering mess on the floor. I had known all along that there was a chance I'd lose Bella forever. Despite the outpouring of prayers, strength, positive thoughts, and well wishes, she might not be strong enough to make it through this and come out on the other side. The idea of living a life without her was too painful to even consider, let alone accept.

"Will you have someone here with you the next few days?" Angela asked. I continued to avoid her gaze, but nodded.

"Tanya was going to drive up. She might bring Riley and Kate with her."

"That's good." Angela stepped forward, laying her hand gently on my shoulder. "I have hope, Edward; everyone in this hospital is rooting for Bella to pull through. But if she doesn't … just know that there's plenty of us here to help get you and the kids through."

"Thank you," I choked out. I composed myself and slipped back in my wife's room. It was silly, but conscious or not I was convinced she could pick up on my emotions, and I didn't want her to know the pain or stress that Angela's words stirred up.

I took a seat beside her bed, picking up the journal once more and opening it to the page I'd earmarked. One deep breath and a clearing of my throat later, I was prepared to continue reading where I'd left off.

"Now, where were we? Ah, yes—California."

* * *

_**-Summer and fall, 1988-** _

When we first left Bruno, neither Bella nor I had any idea where we were headed. I wanted to stop at home, grab my things and say goodbye to my parents, but Bella was quick to point out that it would probably be the first place Charlie went to look for us. So, after some discussion, we headed south to Minneapolis, where a childhood friend of Bella's let us crash on her couch while we made a plan.

After many talks and a few minor arguments, we decided to go west to California. Bella's mom, Renee, lived in Long Beach with her new husband, and was eager to offer us a place to stay while we got on our feet.

I had kept in contact with my parents who, though they didn't approve of what Bella and I were doing, weren't angry enough to cut me off like Charlie had done. That didn't mean they were happy with me, however, and when I told Esme where we were headed, she said nothing and hung up.

We stayed with Maggie for a week, emptied the money from our savings accounts, and then took off again, pointing my jeep in the direction of The Golden State.

Our only extended stop along the way was in Las Vegas. We spent three days there, and on the second we trekked to the Clark County courthouse, where we applied for our marriage license. Twelve hours later we said, "I do," at which time we promptly returned to our room to consummate our marriage. We took cheesy photos in our wedding garb, which we would later send to our friends back home, and finished the final leg of our journey.

Renee Dwyer was nothing like I pictured her. She was on the shorter side, like Bella, with fiery red hair and eyes the color of the Pacific. She welcomed us to her home with open arms, refusing to accept rent, grocery money, or anything else. Her husband Phil managed professional sports players, so he spent a lot of time on the road and not much back at home. After a while it became clear that Renee was just happy to have other people in her home, and not so much by the fact that one of those people was her daughter.

By the time the end of August rolled around, we'd settled in and become fairly stable. Bella got a job working as a waitress at a local café and I had gotten lured into selling insurance with one of Phil's business colleagues. We were pocketing away money for school, and much to my surprise, it seemed like things were going in the right direction.

Bella didn't get many weekends off, so when she told me she had a Saturday night in September free I jumped at the chance to plan an evening out. I made reservations at a fairly nice seafood place that sat on the beach and took my wife on the town.

"What's the occasion?" Bella asked, taking in the spectacular view. The restaurant's patio butted right up to the sand, and from where we were sitting we could see the red and orange hues of yet another perfect sunset.

"There isn't one." I reached across the table and grabbed her hand, tracing the lines on her palm with one of my fingers. She looked down at what I was doing, the corners of her mouth turning up with a smile.

"No?"

I shook my head. "I just wanted to spend time with you. Our schedules are so different now and your mom is always around. It feels like we never get a chance to be alone anymore."

"I know." Bella curled her fingers back, trapping mine in her hand. "Maybe we should look for our own place?"

The thought was tempting, but I also knew it wasn't feasible. "I'd love that, but we have to save for school. That was one of the promises we made when we decided to come here, remember? College was a must."

She tipped her head to the side, letting her eyes roam over me. "I know," she sighed. "Some days it just seems like it might be easier if we did things differently."

I wanted to tell her that I'd tried to point that out before we left Minnesota three months earlier, but I knew that would start an argument, and I wasn't in the mood for one.

"Let's not think about what's easy or hard right now. Let's enjoy this night together, and be thankful we have the resources to do so." I reached across the table and tucked my thumb beneath her chin, raising her head until her eyes met mine. She cupped my wrist with her hand and smiled.

"Okay." We spent the rest of the night talking about everything; what we loved and didn't love about California, how we missed our friends, and what we wanted to do when we finally could afford our own place. Each time Bella smiled I fell more and more in love with her, and by the time we got back to Renee's place, I wanted nothing more than to strip her bare and show her.

"Is your mom home?" I asked, closing the bedroom door behind us and flipping the lock up. Bella dropped her purse on the floor and shook her head.

"She's at some dinner party with Phil. They won't be back for a while."

We spent the rest of the night in bed, worshipping each other in ways that we never had before. And, as my lips found purchase on her soft, sweaty skin, I knew that there could never be anyplace else in the world that I'd rather be.

.

.

.

I was lounging on the couch after work one day, six weeks later, when I heard Bella scream. I jumped to my feet immediately, racing to the basement bedroom we shared.

I found her sitting on the edge of our bed, shoulders slumped and eyes fixed on the floor. She didn't move when I inched across the room, or when I sat down quietly beside her.

"Bells?" I reached out and tried to tuck her hair behind her ear, but she turned her head away from me and sniffled. I wasn't sure what to do or if trying to touch her anymore was a good idea, so I simply put my hands in my lap and stared at the wall.

"What's wrong?"

She turned to face me then, and I could see her eye were red and puffy from crying. "Everything."

"Everything? What do you mean?"

She held her hand out and dropped an object in my lap. I picked it up and spun it around, and when I realized what it was a wave of fear swept over me.

"I'm pregnant."

**ooooo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's the verdict, ladies and gents? Do you think she'll recover and come home to her husband and family...?


	7. Chapter 7

_**-2013-** _

"What does that machine do?" Kate asked, pointing to the tube that disappeared into Bella's mouth. I was tempted to tell Angela to ignore her question, because we'd gone over it every time Kate had come to the hospital, but I knew I couldn't do that. She was just as anxious about her mother's condition as the rest of us were, and asking the same question ten different times was simply the way she expressed that.

"It's a ventilator," Dr. Weber explained. "Your mom has been asleep for such a long time that her lungs forgot how to work. So the ventilator helps her breathe. It pumps oxygen into her body and pulls carbon dioxide out."

Kate scrunched her nose up and cringed. "Does it hurt?"

"We gave her some medicine so she can't feel it." Angela's answer seemed to relax my daughter, to the point that she managed to stay quiet for a whole ten minutes.

"When is mom gonna wake up?" I looked at Tanya, who went to Kate's side.

"Do you want to go get some ice cream in the cafeteria?" Kate nodded.

"Can I go too?" Riley asked.

"That's fine." I pulled out my wallet and handed Tanya a twenty. Once all of the kids were out of the room, Angela closed the door.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Edward?"

"Make her wake up," I offered. Angela smiled sadly.

"I would if I could." She pulled up Bella's chart and entered a few things in it. "I'm going to do my ward rounds, but I'll be back when I'm done. If anything should happen, press the call button and a nurse will be here."

I lowered one of Bella's bed rails and sat down gently on the mattress. Though the coma-inducing drugs had left her system, there had been no changes whatsoever to her physical appearance. Her skin remained pale, her eyes were closed, and the only movement was the up and down motion of her chest as the ventilator did its work.

I'd fought to keep Bella by my side on numerous occasions throughout life, but this fight—the one her body was waging against everything and everyone—was like nothing I'd ever experienced. I'd thought that knowing she was no longer heavily medicated would make things easier on all of us. I thought that it would take away some of the worry we felt and maybe even spark a bit of excitement inside of us. As it turned out, the absence of her medically induced coma only made me more anxious. Each breath from the ventilator was another breath she wasn't taking on her own. Each beep of the monitors marked another heartbeat that she probably couldn't even feel, and each minute that passed by was another minute this woman—the love of my life, mother of my children, and most amazing person I'd ever come to know—was still unconscious.

"Damnit, Bella!" I shouted to the empty room. The anger that had been simmering just below the surface was finally boiling over. I was on the verge of having the meltdown that Emmett had asked me about.

I fisted my hair in my hands and slumped over, succumbing to the mess of tears that were looking for a release. "I can't do this without you, Bella," I sobbed. "I can't raise these kids on my own, take care of our house on my own … hell, I can't even sleep in the fucking bed on my own. My life isn't mine unless you're a part of it. Please come back to me, baby. Please come back. I'm not me without you here."

I let my hands fall to my sides as a torrent of tears poured from within me. Every sad night, every confusing day, all the sadness and hurt and anger that I felt, left my body through my eyes and flowed freely down my cheeks.

I was so caught up in my emotional meltdown that I didn't notice when Bella's hand slid toward me. I felt it when her fingers squeezed mine though. My heart stopped beating, my breath caught in my throat, and though I opened my mouth to cry out loud, no sound came out.

I turned my head slowly, crumpling on top of her when I took in the sight.

Bella's eyes were open.

And they were focused on me.

**ooooo**


	8. Chapter 8

_**\- 1989 to 2013-** _

Tanya Jane Cullen was born on July 23, 1989. Renee was there to catalog her granddaughter's childbirth, much to Bella's horror. We came home from the hospital three days later, with no idea what we were doing or how to be parents.

Our college plans vanished when Renee told us we had to get our own place a few months later. She said she'd paid her dues in the parenting department, and didn't sign up to house a newborn in addition to the two of us. So, we got our own apartment, but no matter how hard we tried, we just couldn't make it work. Daycare was too expensive, so Bella had to stay home with Tanya, leaving my piddly income to take care of us all. We were constantly late with rent, and eventually our landlord stopped being understanding and evicted us.

We had nowhere to go and no idea what we were going to do. We fought all the time, about things like the light bill and our decision to elope. Even though my relationship with my parents had become strained when we left, I reached out to my mom, because I didn't have anyone else to talk to. She could sense how miserable we both were, and one night she offered us the out that would save our relationship.

"Come home."

I wanted to protest, but I just couldn't.

"Your father and I can help you," Esme continued. "You can stay with us and I'll watch Tanya. You can go to school and get back on your feet, Bella can work on her relationship with Charlie and … it's a good choice all around, Edward. Come home."

Bella and I talked that night, and through her tears, she agreed it was the best option for us.

We moved back to Minnesota at the end of the month. My parents picked us up at the airport, and I'd never been so happy to see them. Esme surprised us with a welcome home party, which all of our high school friends were in attendance for, and my uncle offered to pay me if I wanted to work in his woodshop, which I absolutely did.

Over the course of the next six months Bella explored her college options, and she decided she wanted to study nursing at The College of St Scholastica. She researched scholarships, applied for the program, and in the fall of 1990 she became a full-time student.

Woodworking turned out to be the one thing I excelled at, and before long I was handcrafting furniture. I used my parent's garage as a showroom and pocketed as much of my earnings as possible. By the time Bella was in her junior year of nursing school we were able to buy a small piece of property on the outskirts of Bruno. It was perfect for the three of us, with enough land to build a bigger house and a shop for me.

Bella graduated with honors in the spring of 1994 and was offered a job at St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth, the same place she'd done her clinical rotation. It had taken a while for them to fix things, but Charlie was there at her commencement, sitting in the chair next to me with Tanya on his lap. Part of him would always see me as the country bumpkin who ran off with his daughter, but he accepted our relationship for what it was and we always treated one another with respect.

Our son Riley was born in the fall of 1996, and our youngest daughter, Kate, arrived in the spring of 1999. By then we needed more space, so we had Emmett design us a house, which had a showroom for my furniture attached to it. We were able to raise our family in a comfortable spot, with our close friends and loved ones nearby. Life slowed to a good pace, and after enduring all of the chaos we'd inflicted on ourselves during our teenage years, everything finally fell into place. We still fought occasionally, but then we'd talk things out and make up. We watched our kids grow older and enter their teenage years, and sometimes late at night we'd stay up, reminiscing about the trouble we caused and praying that they wouldn't throw it back at us tenfold.

We celebrated twenty-five years of wedded bliss in the summer of 2013. Fall was soon upon us, and then the accident happened.

It was a Friday in October—the 18th to be exact—and I was busy in my shop. Mrs. Black had ordered an entertainment center, and I was in the midst of carving an intricate design into each of the legs when my phone rang.

"Shit," I muttered, setting my tools down and heading off to my office. I hated interruptions, and when I saw "private" flashing across the screen, I got even more irritated. "What?" I huffed out.

"Is this Edward Cullen?"

"Yes. Can I help you?"

"This is Deputy Daum from the Carlton County sheriff's department. There's been an accident, Mr. Cullen. Your wife was air lifted to St. Mary's Hospital." I gripped the phone tightly and fell to my knees. "Mr. Cullen?"

"Yes."

"I'm going to patch you through to the hospital." The next few hours passed by in a blur. I listened as the emergency room staff spoke to me about brain injuries, increased intracranial pressure, and hematomas, but the words didn't sink in or make any sense. I was shaking so bad I couldn't drive, so I called Emmett and asked him to come and get me. I couldn't see Bella for hours because they'd rushed her straight into surgery, and when I finally did see her, the sight ripped my heart out. The whole left side of her head was bruised, she had tubes coming out of everywhere, and even though she was unconscious, I could tell she'd endured a tremendous amount of pain.

Angela told me the details of the crash; how the drunk driver coming at her had crossed the median and hit my wife head on, sending her car toppling down a steep hill and causing her head to slam had against the driver's side window. She told me that Bella was unconscious and unresponsive, and that the information on the CT scans led them to place her in a drug-induced coma. She sucked the life right out of me with each word she spoke, and when she was done, I had no idea what I was going to do.

Time passed in slow motion after that. Each day I found myself waiting for answers that might never come. I stayed strong for the kids, but at night, when I found myself alone in the bedroom Bella and I once shared, the fears I worked so hard to push down all day reared their ugly heads, threatening to consume me. I was lost, spinning in circles and wondering if I'd ever get my life back.

All it took was one small gesture—Bella opening her eyes—to breathe life back into me, and push me out of my funk.

**ooooo**


	9. Chapter 9

_**-2013-** _

The days that followed Bella's return to consciousness were anything but easy to witness. Still we all kept strong, and with support from friends and loved ones, my wife made a full recovery.

At first, she could only keep her eyes open for a few minutes at a time. She'd wake periodically throughout the day, but would fall asleep again almost instantly. It took about a week for her to get to the point where she could stay awake for longer stretches of time, but once she got there, the first thing Bella did was try to remove her breathing tube. Dr. Weber said this was a common thing, as the presence of the tube was typically anxiety provoking for conscious patients. It took four nurses to keep her from destroying the ventilator and injuring herself further, and after that they switched her to a bed that came equipped with restraints. Angela gave Bella just enough of a sedative to keep her comfortable but still conscious, and explained that they would have to wait another few days before attempting to wean her off of the ventilator.

By the end of the following week she was able to breathe independently, and the ventilator was fully removed. She still wasn't speaking though, and Dr. Weber tried her best to offer me some reassurance.

"It's like riding a bike for the first time after being off of one for years," she explained. "You're a little shaky for a few miles or so while your legs get acclimated to the pedaling motion, and it might take falling down a few times for you to remember how to balance yourself and stay upright. Think of Bella's speech as the bike and her vocal chords as the nervous rider. Those vocal chords have been dormant for over a month. Bella seems to remember the basics of speaking, as evidenced by how she tries to move her mouth and form words, but her vocal chords aren't used to working. They need some time to learn how to ride that bike again."

Though she had trouble with her expressive communication, Bella's receptive communication skills didn't seem to suffer. She understood words and phrases, could answer yes or no questions with a nod or shake of her head, could point to pictures of family members and friends, and was able to write out longer answers to things. She knew what year it was, that I was her husband, and that we had three children. She knew the name of the town we lived in and how old she was. All of these were good signs, because it meant that there was a good chance her cognitive abilities weren't altered by the accident.

Tanya brought Kate and Riley up to hospital each day after school, and the minute they entered the room Bella's eyes would light up. They would sit by her side, showing her schoolwork they did well on and telling her every last detail about their day. We'd trek down to the cafeteria around dinnertime, bringing our trays back up so that we were able to eat when Bella did, together as a family. It wasn't what we were used to, but it became our new routine, and the look on Bella's face each night as we packed up to leave told me that she enjoyed it.

Once Bella's condition became stable, Dr. Weber had her transitioned to a rehabilitation facility. Speech continued to be an ongoing struggle, though Bella was able to say a few words by the time she left St. Mary's. After a month of working with a speech therapist, my wife was able to put together sentences, though they didn't always make sense. It was difficult to watch how frustrated she got when she couldn't express herself the way she wanted, but at the same time I was just happy to see her awake and alive.

Three months after Bella returned to us she was given the green light to truly come home, to our house in Bruno. Despite my protests, Rose and Alice set up a little party for her, inviting close friends, family, and a few of the staff members from St. Mary's. I thought my wife wouldn't be ready for such festivities, but it turned out she loved it.

"I think she's having fun." Rose elbowed me in the side and tipped her wine glass toward where Bella stood. She was laughing at something Angela had said, and I couldn't deny that it certainly did look like she was enjoying herself.

A ripple of emotion bubbled up inside me, leaving me feeling choked up and almost breathless. Four months ago I wasn't sure if I'd ever see my wife stand again, let alone walk through our front door. Now there she was, moving between guests and greeting them with hugs while sipping on a bottle of her favorite craft beer. Her mere presence made our house feel like a home again, and for the first time in a long time, everything felt complete.

Later that night, after everyone had gone home and Alice and I had finished cleaning up, I joined Bella in our bedroom. She was standing in front of the bay window that overlooked our land with her palms pressed flat against the glass, watching as the last rays of sun disappeared from the sky.

I stepped up behind her and slid my arms around her waist. She leaned back into me and tipped her head onto my shoulder.

"I'm so happy." She didn't have to say the words for me to know how she felt. Her emotions were alive everywhere in all her features, from her eyes to her smile to the rose colored glow that covered her skin.

I tightened my grip on her and bent my head down, resting my chin on her shoulder. I pressed a kiss into the skin below her ear and whispered the words I'd been waiting so long for her to hear.

"Welcome home."

**ooooo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not-fun-at-all-but-true-nonetheless Fact of the day: In 2010, my good friend's husband went to the ER because his wisdom tooth hurt. Three hours later he was rushed into surgery for a flesh-eating bacterial infection, and by the end of the night he was in a drug induced coma. He was unconscious for almost two months and had over twenty operations before he woke up. The road to recovery was rough, but today he's happy and healthy.
> 
> Miracles happen everywhere, every day.
> 
> The epilogue is up next.
> 
> xo


	10. Epilogue

_**-Five years later-** _

Bella's road to recovery was long, and it was something that impacted our entire family. Even after she returned to our house she had to spend months meeting with physical therapists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists. She worked to get back to her normal functioning level, and when she did, things weren't the same.

Five years later her motor skills still weren't where they used to be, and it sometimes took longer than normal for her to problem solve or make decisions. But beneath it all, she was still Bella—the sweet, sometimes foul-mouthed girl I had fallen in love with so many years ago. Her smile could still light up a room and her kisses never failed to leave me weak in the knees.

I spent weeks mulling over how to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Jasper and Emmett thought I should pull out all the stops, especially after everything we had been through following our 25th. In the end I decided on simple, knowing full well that Bella would love it.

At seven o'clock sharp I made Bella put a blindfold on and led her out to the car. The property off Rural Route 1 no longer belonged to the Stanley family, but the new owners were kind enough to let me use the meadow that night. I pulled to a stop and helped Bella out, steering her toward the woods.

Sometime in the last three decades someone cleared a path to our favorite place, making it much easier for people to get out there. I kept my hand on the small of Bella's back as we walked, and before long the meadow came into sight.

A small table with two place setting sat in the middle of the grass, lit by a collection of tea light candles. A picnic basket lay on the ground next to a portable boom box, and a small Tiffany box was strategically placed at one place setting.

"Happy Anniversary," I whispered, guiding Bella to her chair and pulling the blindfold off. Her face lit up as she took in the sight.

"Edward, it's…"

"Good?"

She laughed. "Putting it lightly, yes."

"Perfect." She took a seat and I pushed her chair in, then rounded the table and sat down myself. Bella noticed the jewelry box and gave me a look.

"What is this?"

I pushed it toward her. "Open it and find out." She picked the box up and tugged the ribbon off. When she lifted the lid, she gasped and covered her mouth with one hand.

"I saw it and knew I had to get it for you." I stood up and joined her on the other side of the table. The necklace had a white gold chain with a heart shaped pendant attached to it. The pendant was surrounded by diamonds, which sparkled in the candlelight.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. I reached around her and removed the necklace from the box. She held her hair to the side as I slipped the chain around her neck and clasped it.

"You're beautiful," I said once I was seated. She tilted her head to the side, causing a few curls to fall in her eyes. When she tucked them back, that smile that I loved was spread across her face.

"I don't know how I got so lucky," she said, reaching out and taking my hand.

"I could say the same thing." I grabbed the picnic basket and pulled out the food I'd packed, setting it up for us to enjoy. We ate in silence, stealing glances at each other and looking up at the stars. It was a perfect night to be outside, and once we finished our food I stood and held out my hand.

"Dance with me?"

Happiness twinkled in Bella's eyes. "Is this an ode to all those cheesy school functions I made you attend?"

I pulled her up and started the music. It floated around us and my hands found her hips. As we swayed to the song, she rested her head on my shoulder.

"If I'd had my way, we'd of never stepped foot in that high school gymnasium for a single one of them," I admitted. Her chest shook with laughter.

"This dance beats them all," she said a minute later.

I leaned back and tipped my head down, gazing into her eyes. "And why is that?" She pointed her face to the sky in response. "Ah, yes. Your favorite North Country feature."

"It _is_ the beauty of the night that sets this one apart from the others," Bella admitted. "But the stars, they're no longer my favorite thing about this place."

Her response puzzled me. "Oh really?" She nodded. "Then what is?"

Bella stopped moving, sliding her hands forward until they rested against my chest. "You and me."

Her words hit me like an arrow straight to the heart. I was overcome with emotion as I pushed her hair away from her face, cupped her cheeks with my hands, and kissed her. I would never tire of the way her lips felt as they moved against mine, or the sweet taste of our tongues dancing together.

When I pulled away she was breathless, skin flushed red and eyes full of love. She grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me back to her, skimming her nose along my jaw and whispering in my ear. "Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Take me home."

So I did.

**ooooo**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for joining me on this short, but hopefully sweet and meaningful journey.
> 
> Joey - I love you girl. I hope you liked reading this as much as I liked writing it. :)
> 
> Make sure to check out all the other stories in the C2 for this year. There's some amazing talent in there.
> 
> Until we meet again...
> 
> xo
> 
> blu


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